Method for deodorizing petroleum



June 1930. A. E. PEW, JR

METHOD FOR DEODORIZING PETROLEUM Filed Atig. 27, 1926 TWI IWESS.

Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

'AR'I'HUR E. HEW, JR. BRYN MAWR, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SUN OIL COM-PANY, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENN SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY METHODFOR DEODORIZIN G PETROLEUM Application filed August 27, 1926. Serial No.131,911.

My invention relates to an improved method for deodorizing petroleumproducts, more particularly lubricating oils. I

Heretofore it has been recognized that petroleum products, andespecially the heavier products as lubricating oils, obtained. bydistillation, have a disagreeable odor which renders them relativelyunmarketable without treatment after distillation. The odor of suchproducts is caused by the fact that there is absorbed therein, ingaseous form, odoriferous constituents, which are probably certain fixedgases and aromatic compounds which cannot be eifectively eliminated bydistillation.

As a result of the presence in lubricating oils of odoriferousconstituents which render them unpleasant and relatively unmarketable,it has heretofore been necessary to re run such oils and to subject themto acid washes, after they are originally produced from stock, in orderto sufliciently free them from the odoriferousconstituents to make themmarketable. v

Re-running and acid treatment adds greatly to the expense of productionof lubricating oils and has not been found entirely effective for theproduction of high grade 0118. Now in accordance with my invention, Iprovide a method for deodorizing petroleum products which I have foundto be hlghly efficient, and which adds practically nothing to the costof production. A

The process in accordance with my invention consists essentially insubjecting the oil, obtained by distillation and condensation, to anexternal pressure less than its internal pressure by which the gaseousodoriferous constituents are held in absorption in the e11. Moreparticularly, in accordance with my 1nvention, the oil in a heatedcondition, for example, as drawn directly from a condens ng apparatus,or especially heated, 1s flowed 1n a thin film at a velocity, or over atype of surface,'to cause turbulence in, or agitation of,

t ed to an external the film and at'the same time subjected to anexternal pressurelower than its internal pressure, to the end that thegaseous odoriferous constituents held in the oil by absorption will bereleased'and removed.

embodying my invention, the temperature of the oil, the thinness of thefilm, rate of flow,

external pressure, and length of time during which the oil must besubjected to the reduced external pressure, will depend one upon theother and upon the viscosity of the oil treated, and will be readilydeterminable by those skilled in the art. The reason for subjectingv Ithe oil to the degasifying treatment described While the oil is not'muchbelow the "highly approximate temperature can be specified for, oils ofdifferent boiling points. If cold oilwere, sufliciently non-viscous, noheating would be required. But even light oils must be substantiallyheated to sufliciently reduce their viscosity to enable the process tobe operative to release contained gases. However, as an example, I havefound that the odor may be successfully eliminated from oils having ashigh as 200 viscosity Saybolt at 212 E, if the oil be heated to say 500F., flowed in a thinturbulent stream and subjectpressure of say 7 mm.mercury absolute.

Apparatus which lends itself especially to carrying out the processabove described, which, however, it will be understood is not dependentupon the use of any particular ap- I 50' In the practical adaptation ofthe process paratus, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is the sectional view of a deodorizing chamber of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view of the subj ect of Fig. 2 taken atright angles to that of Fig. 2. 7

- In the drawings, (1 indicates an upright chamber, preferablyrectangular in cross section, and provided internally with a series ofstaggered inclined flow plates 6.

The chamber a is provided at its top with an inlet pipe 0, provided witha valve is, which leads from a container (1, and at its bottom with anoutlet pipe 6, connected to a receiver or tank The container d may be acondensing apparatus, if the deodorizer is installedas an element of anapparatus for continuous ly producing lubricating oils, or it may be aheater, or merely a tank for containing a supply ofoil to be treated.

Let into one side of the chamber a are a plurality of outlet pipes g,positioned respectively between adjacent plates 6. The outlet pipes gare connected to a header h, which at one end is connected to a vacuumpump 5. A valve y'is placed between the vacuum pump and the header. Thedischarge of the vacuum pump may be connected to any suitable form ofreceiver.

In carrying out my process in the apparatus described, assumin that alubricatlng oil of about 200 viscosity aybolt at 212 F. is to betreated, the oil is led from the supply d, in which itis contained at atemperature of about 500 F., into the chamber a through the inlet pipec.On entering the chamber, the oil falls on the topmost flow plate 6 nearits upper end, the oil spreads out in a thin film on the plate, andflows toward its lower end, from which it drops'to' the next plate, andso on from side to side of the chamber until it reaches the-bottom whereit flows out of the chamber to tank 7.

The flow through the inlet pipe 0 is regulated by adjustment of valve 7:so that the oil will spread out on plates 6 in athin film, and the slantof the plates bis such that the films vof oil will travel over theplates at a velocity sutficient to create a substantial turbulence, oragitation, in the films.

While the relatively hot oil is passing through the chamber, vacuum pump71, connected to the interior of the chamber, through pipes g, isoperated so as to maintain a lower pressure on the interior ofthe'chamber than exists internally of the oil. For example, the

pressure should be about 7 mm. of mercuryv absolute and may be regulatedby means of valve It will now be observed that the thin films of heatedoil passing over the plates I), at relareceiver through pipes g. The oilon reaching the bottom of the receiver will be found to be sweet andready for market without further treatment.

It will benoted that, while the interior of the receiver a, as a whole,is maintained under the desired reduced pressure, the odoriferous gasesremoved'from'thefilms of oil flowing Over the several plates 6 aredirectly removed from receivers, thus preventing such gases from beingreabsorbed in the oil.

This application is in part a continuation of the application forLetters Patent of the United States filed by me May 29, 1926, Serial No.112,485.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of removing from lubricating oil distillates odoriferousgases which are not removable in the distillation process, whichcomprises flowing said distillate in a thin film over a surface ofsubstantial area while subjecting thefilm to a low sub-atmosphericabsolute external pressure, and regulating the temperature of the oiland said pressure to effect release of contained gases without efiectingsubstantial vaporization of the liquid oil.

2. The method of removing, from a refined oil product, odoriferous 1gases which co-mprises distributing preheated oil in a thin film over asurface of substantial area and simultaneously, and without theapplication of substantial heat, subjecting it to a vacuum sulficientlyhigh to remove such gases without effecting substantial vaporization ofthe liquid oil.

3. The method of removing from lubricating oil distillates odoriferousgases which are not removable in the distillation process, whichcomprises flowing said distillate, while sufliciently highly'heated tosubstantially reduce its viscosity, but without substantial applicationofexternal heat, and without substantial distillation, in a thin filmovera surface of substantial area while subjecting the film externallyto a hi h vacuum corresponding to an external a solute pressuresufficiently low to effect the release of the contained gases andcontinuously removing the released gases.

4. The method of removing from lubricating oil distillates odoriferousgases which are not removable in the distillation process, whichcomprises flowing said distillate, while sufficiently highly heated tosubstantially reduce its viscosity, in a thin'film over a series ofsurfaces of substantial area and at a velocity sufficient to producesubstantial turbulence in the oil while subjecting the oil, with outsubstantial application of external heat, to a highvaeuum correspondingto an external absolute pressure sufficiently low to efieet the releaseof the'contained gases, and continuously withdrawing and directlyremoving gases from aseries of loci along the path of flow of the oil,thereby without substantial evaporation of the liquid constituents ofthe oil, rendering the oil substantially free of objectionable odor.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, atPhiladelfihia, Penna, on this 26th day of August, 1926.

A ARTHUR E. PEW, JR.

memes

